Cross Keys

by Ally Shields

  Two crossbreeds stepped out of the rear guild door and looked around. Another came out behind them, and the three walked quickly around the corner. Nothing happened for the next fifteen minutes, then the elves returned carrying two food bags and a tray of disposable cups. Breakfast. There were five cups. Not a foolproof count of men, but close enough.

  Seth rubbed the stubble on his chin and licked his dry lips. He’d kill for a cup of coffee about now.

  He kept watching, but another hour passed and his eyelids grew heavy again. He startled to alertness when the door behind him rattled. Kam walked in with a small white bag and a package wrapped in brown paper.

  Seth got up, stretched and sniffed the air. “I smell coffee.”

  “Good morning.” She smiled and set the bag and package on one of the work tables. She took two cups from the bag, while he dragged wooden stools from the side of the room. “Coffee and my mother’s blueberry bread. I figured this would tide you over until you get back to the apartment.”

  “Much appreciated.” He took a couple of quick swallows of coffee. “Is Rhyden still asleep?”

  “No, we didn’t see any reason for both of us to come at the same time. He’s still at the apartment, and I think he’ll fix you breakfast if you go soon. He was headed to the shower when I left.” She grinned. “I beat him to it.”

  “Hmm. Your mother’s bread is really good.”

  She looked him over as he took a second bite. “You look tired.” She hadn’t noticed it last night, but now there was a distinct growth of beard. She watched the bristles move as he chewed. If she were to reach out and touch his chin, would it feel prickly or soft?

  “I am tired, and the only thing I’ve seen is three of them go out for breakfast.”

  She sat up straight and averted her eyes. “It proves we’re watching the right place.”

  He finished the bread and washed it down with coffee. “The important thing is they only brought two bags and five drinks back.”

  “A small group. And when the time comes to take action, there won’t be any reason not to use our magic. This might not be so hard after all.”

  He set the empty coffee container down and gave her a rueful smile. “Sounds sensible, but frankly I’m too tired to plan strategy right now.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’m the one who isn’t thinking clearly.” He got off the stool. “Thanks for the breakfast. I’ll be back in a few hours.” He hesitated at the door and eyed her uncertainly. “Do you have the Glock? Don’t take any chances.”

  “I won’t, and yes, I have the gun right here.” She patted her jacket. “And it’s loaded.”

  “I’m leaving the backpack. The ammo and your magic items are inside. Use anything you have to if you’re discovered.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I don’t like leaving you alone.”

  “Seth, get some sleep. I can handle this.” Men. No, not just men, alpha males. She smiled at his back as he went out the door. Still, it was kind of nice having him worry about her. Why had she always resented Caleb’s protectiveness?

  Caleb! She rubbed the back of her neck and shifted into a better view of the Trevain guild house. It had been days since she’d thought of the man who had asked her to be his wife. He was still waiting for an answer.

  She blew out her cheeks, suddenly annoyed. Well, she’d been busy, hadn’t she?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Rhyden arrived at noon, bringing takeout cartons of gumbo, red beans and rice, fried crawfish, and garlic mashed potatoes. Kam teased him about how many people he intended to feed, but most of it quickly disappeared. Seth joined them by mid-afternoon, the tiredness gone from his eyes. Kam didn’t have much to report. The only activity from the guild house was one person leaving and returning with two pizza boxes.

  Rhyden and Kam had passed the early afternoon by sharing childhood stories, and once Seth arrived, they shared stories about the Academy, the one experience to which all three could relate. By the end of the afternoon, what had started twenty-four hours ago as a compulsory working relationship had slowly morphed into an relaxed camaraderie.

  Kam finally stood and stretched. “I can’t believe people actually do surveillance for a living. Present company aside, it would be awful to do this every day. I’m going to change clothes now. I’ll feel better knowing I’m ready.”

  “Good idea.” Seth peered out the window. “It’s starting to get dark. With the portal deadline looming in the morning, we should have action in the next few hours.”

  * * *

  But he was wrong. Except for another run for food around 10:00 p.m., there was no movement at the smugglers’ hideout. Shortly after midnight, Kam curled up on the floor to sleep. Rhyden dozed on and off; at 5:00 he finally went out for a walk. Seth kept watch.

  He paced the room, growing more restless by the minute. No wonder Rhyden was prowling the streets. They were all sick of waiting. And Kam had called it right. It was boring. Especially after the last adrenaline-charged days. He glanced at her every few minutes, unable to keep his eyes away. She looked so vulnerable, so…soft when asleep. Even in that black outfit. She shivered, and he crouched to gently cover her with his jacket.

  Seth drew his hand back and watched her. Her long black lashes fluttered against her cheeks, and he smiled when a faint sigh escaped her lips. He leaned forward, tempted to cover them with a kiss.

  Seth pulled back quickly and stood. He must be more tired than he thought. She was an Elite elf, a Ryndel…and not the type to welcome a one-night stand. He’d have to keep his male libido in check. Easier to say than do.

  He returned to the window and kept his eyes on the Trevain guild.

  “You must be cold.”

  He stiffened at the sudden sound of her voice. How long had she been awake? Did she know how close he’d come to kissing her?

  Kam sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes. “Why do I have your jacket?”

  “You were shivering.”

  “Oh, sorry. It must have been a bad dream.” Her combat suit usually kept her temperature comfortable. She pushed off the floor and brought the jacket to him.

  He reached out and took it but continued to look out the window.

  “Thanks for the loan, but you should put it on. It’s cool in here. Where’s Rhyden?”

  “He was getting twitchy and went out for a while.”

  Kam cocked her head. “Have I done something? Said something in my sleep?”

  He finally turned to look at her. “No. What makes you ask?”

  “You seem tense.”

  Seth smiled and forced himself to relax before his curt responses gave him away. She clearly wasn’t aware of the near kiss or his growing attraction. He intended to keep it that way. “I’m tired of the waiting. Time is running short. If they delay the shipments until the last minute, we could all get stuck here.”

  Her brow wrinkled. “Do you think the king would leave us stranded?”

  “What choice would he have?” Seth shrugged. “Elvenrude’s safety has to come first.”

  * * *

  Rhyden brought breakfast when he returned twenty minutes later. Seth seemed better as soon as his cousin arrived. Maybe these last few hours were just getting to everybody.

  Kam licked her fingers clean of the sugary goodness left from a beignet and sipped her tea; the men finished off the egg and bacon bagels, fought over the last beignet, and finished off the coffee. Seth checked his watch…again.

  By the gods, stop it. She was edgy enough without his constant reminder.

  It was after eight. Whatever was going to happen, it would be over in three hours, and she’d be home. Back with her family and her familiar life. She could hardly wait, and yet, if Seliwyn didn’t change his mind, she’d never be allowed to return to New Orleans. She sighed. No more beignets. How could she forget its sophistication, the uninhibited joy for life, the underlying beat of Cajun rhythm?

  Kam laughed silently. How fickle she was. Just two da
ys ago she’d been fearful of losing Elvenrude, now it was New Orleans. In truth, she’d learned to love them both.

  “They’re certainly cutting it close.” Rhyden’s exasperation broke the silence.

  “I noticed.” Seth crumpled his wrappers and stuck them in a bag. “Unless there is no new shipment. If this becomes a last minute exchange, let’s plan what we want to do. There may not be time to improvise.” Seth turned his head toward Kam. “Or to give Crain what he wants.”

  She sat up straight. “I gave him my word. If there’s a new exchange, we have to keep our side of the bargain.”

  “We’re out of time.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll make time.”

  Seth sighed heavily. “We’ll try, but it isn’t worth getting left behind.”

  Kam looked away and let it drop. But she’d find a way to keep her promise.

  After a brief discussion, they formed a plan of action, and much of it involved magic. While the terrorists were unloading the final shipment, Kam would use the invisibility amulet to sneak aboard the humans’ vehicle and stay there until they left. As soon as they were a few blocks away, she’d call Crain with the vehicle’s location, leave her cell phone so he could follow the GPS, and jump off to race back to the portal using the speed of the magic band.

  In the meantime, Seth would teleport into the guild, cover Rhyden until he was inside, and together they would subdue the crossbreeds, even if they had to shoot and injure them. As soon as Kam returned, she would call Crain again so he could recover the last cargo, and the elves would use a personal portal to transport back to the Ryndel Guild. Then home, as soon as the Elvenrude portal opened. It was really much simpler than it sounded, and Kam was eager to get started.

  Seth gave her a direct look, his voice firm. “You can’t get into that vehicle unless there’s plenty of time to get back before the portal opens. Agreed?”

  She bristled at his dictatorial tone. “Yes, OK, I understand.” But she was the one who’d decide whether there was time or not. She avoided an argument by getting up and collecting the empty cups and bags of trash.

  “I’ll take this out, then I’m going to call Crain and tell him to be standing by.”

  Neither man said anything. She dumped the litter in a bin behind the building, then jogged several blocks before making the call. She kept it short.

  “Be ready anytime now. I’ll call you with a location and vehicle description. The rest is up to you.” She hung up before he had much of a chance to run a trace, but she removed the battery and dumped the phone anyway. She still had two throwaways left.

  When she got back, nothing had changed. Seth was at the window, and Rhyden was playing a game on his cell phone. Kam sat and watched him play for a while. She knew all the young spotters were good with these games, but she’d never understood the fascination. Watching Rhyden, she could see it was the challenge.

  “Show time.”

  Seth’s curt words brought Kam and Rhyden to their feet, and they rushed to the window. A small, dark blue moving van was backing up to the Trevain guild loading dock. The dock door opened and six elves stepped out; one of them motioning directions with his hands until the van came to a stop. The van’s cab doors opened, and three dark complected men jumped out. The driver headed toward the dock.

  “Which one of you is Weymiere?” The man’s heavily accented voice carried easily to Kam and her companions.

  An elf jumped down to talk with him. The man opened the van doors, and the two of them climbed inside. When they came out a few minutes later, they both entered the guild.

  As Seth, Kam, and Rhyden continued to watch, both groups started unloading.

  “I think that’s my cue,” Kam said.

  Seth looked at his watch. “OK, but get out the first chance you can. We’ll be waiting for you. And be careful.”

  They quickly sorted out their weapons and magical artifacts, and Kam headed for the back door. “I have the easy part.” She kept her voice light. “Don’t either of you get shot while I’m gone.”

  “Not planning on it.” Rhyden gave her his usual grin. “See you in a few minutes.”

  “Count on it.”

  She left through the rear door and stopped outside to wrap the amulet’s chain around her wrist before taking the invisibility stone in her palm. She didn’t want to risk inadvertently dropping it at a critical moment. Kam walked around until she could see the van and loading dock, then stepped into the open.

  Her body tensed when she came into full view of the smugglers. It was a familiar reaction. She felt exposed each time she used the stone, wondering if this time the magic would fail. When no one noticed her, her stomach quit turning flip-flops.

  Now to get inside without bumping against anyone.

  As she moved closer to the van, she got a better look at the smugglers’ progress. All the cases had been removed from the vehicle and now were stacked inside the warehouse. Their portal must be next to the cases so that the cargo could be shoved through, completing the transport to Elvenrude within a minute or two. Seth and Rhyden would have to act fast.

  Kam was poised to climb into the van’s empty cargo space, but backed out of reach when two men carried a small barrel toward her. They lifted it inside the van and returned to the building for another. Four more barrels were shoved inside while she watched, but they weren’t stacking them. There was plenty of room on top for her.

  As soon as the men turned away, she climbed on the barrels near the cab. She drew her knees up, and waited, speculating on the contents of the containers. She’d never seen metal barrels exactly like these. She tapped the side gently and ran her fingers over the lid. Thick walls, tight seal. Someone had slapped a “Perishable” sticker on one but not the others. Curious. Two more barrels joined the rest; the doors clanged shut, leaving her alone in the dimly lit interior.

  Minutes passed as she waited, resting her head against the metal frame. Her heart began to hammer. Sweat gradually formed on her upper lip. What was going on? What time was it?

  She finally heard voices. They grew loud, angry. A dispute between the two groups? Or had Seth and Rhyden been discovered? She bit her lip, straining to hear. Kam crept toward the back of the van and looked for the handle in case she had to make a quick, last minute exit.

  Damn. Where was it? It must be lower, hidden by the cargo. She lay down and frantically ran her hands over the entire panel, but didn’t find a handle. What kind of van didn’t have an inside latch?

  Kam forced herself to take a steadying breath and crawled to the side door. A breath of relief exploded when she felt the edge of a handle. She couldn’t get a good hold on it, but it was there. The barrels were wedged against it. Kam sat back on her heels and studied the situation. The barrels were packed loosely enough she should be able to shift them.

  Doors opened and slammed up front, the engine revved, and Kam felt the van move. At last. Apparently the argument was over, then the van stopped again abruptly. She heard someone in the cab curse loudly, the door opened and slammed again. More voices. Someone got in again and the van began to pick up speed. Finally they seemed to be on the way, but she still needed to find a way out. Unless she could move these barrels in the next few blocks, she’d be cutting it close to the deadline.

  She pushed and pulled with her hands, but the containers were much heavier than they looked and stubbornly remained in place. She scooted onto one of the rear barrels and used her feet to push, gaining a half inch. And then another. Kam grinned. One more shove and she’d be able to reach the handle. She didn’t know exactly how much time had passed, but it was after 10:00 when she’d gotten in the van. That was at least twenty or thirty minutes ago, and she must be three or four blocks from the guild now. She pulled out her cell phone to check the time.

  The van lurched around a sudden turn. Kam grabbed a barrel rim to steady herself, her cell phone went flying, and she watched in horror as the barrels slid back against the door.

  * *
*

  Seth and Rhyden watched impatiently throughout the unloading and the arguments, which eventually ended with the humans handing over a handful of cash.

  Seth’s chest tightened as the minutes passed. He never should have let Kam go. She must be going crazy not knowing what was causing the holdup. Finally the van drove away, and he shrugged off his guilt. She still had time.

  The elves talked angrily among themselves. There appeared to be some disagreement over the split of the additional funds, and it took several minutes before they were all inside. Then the loading door closed.

  Damn. Seth hadn’t counted on them closing the loading door. He couldn’t teleport through walls. OK, he’d have to improvise. He looked at his watch. 10:47. Time to move. Quickly. He looked at Rhyden. “Ready?”

  His cousin nodded and put his hand on the door handle. “Go.”

  Seth teleported across the intervening space, landing just outside the Trevain guild. With Glock in hand, he kicked the door open, and sprang inside. “Nobody move!”

  His voice was lost among the shouts and scrambling feet. The elves rushed him, but Seth leaped on top of the boxes at the other end of the room. He might have had an advantage from this height if a redheaded crossbreed hadn’t produced a semi-automatic rifle. Seth dove behind the boxes as rapid fire echoed in the room.

  Someone shouted. “Quit firing at the ammo, you idiot! You’ll kill us all!”

  Rhyden appeared and fired from the doorway. When they’d discussed strategy earlier, the cousins had hoped to catch the smugglers in a crossfire, but with Seth temporarily down behind the boxes, the elves turned on Rhyden. He retreated to the dock, using the building’s walls as cover. Both men exchanged several rounds of fire with the smugglers.

  Seth heard the whoosh as the portal opened near him. “Rhyden!” he shouted.

  He leaped over the boxes and fired at the retreating figures crowding into the portal. A crossbreed went down, but a return bullet caught Seth’s arm and spun him. Rhyden fired from the doorway and another elf fell. Rhyden raced forward, but the crossbreeds pulled their injured into the portal and vanished.